(Paul Schiraldi)

Carrie Coon, The Leftovers

I ran hot and cold on The Leftovers, which careened wildly between brilliance and annoyance, but never when Coon was onscreen. As Nora Durst, who lost her entire family in the Sudden Departure, Coon’s performance was often heartbreaking, yet always captivating. She was neck and neck with Ann Dowd, who commanded the screen in her largely-silent performance as Guilty Remnant leader Patti, but Coon pulled ahead during an unforgettable scene in the finale in which Nora was finally forced to comfort the loss that she had kept bottled up for years. This was the year that Coon made a spectacular leap from the stage to TV and movies (where she was also a standout in Gone Girl), and I’m not sure how either medium had existed without her.

(Jeff Neumann)

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Alicia Florrick is the gift that keeps on giving for Margulies. This year alone, she’s grieved the loss of her former (and likely future) boyfriend, solidified her emotional divorce from her governor husband, fought to free her law firm partner from prison and embarked upon an already-bitter run for State’s Attorney. But the actress shines brightest in the moments where she’s not saying a word: her furtive elevator gazes, her pregnant pauses on the phone and the way she’s a bit too eager about the glass of wine in her hand. She’s also not afraid to take Alicia into unexplored avenues, particularly ones that make viewers realize Alicia isn’t as “good” as we’d like to believe.

I wrote about Margulies and The Good Wife here.

(BBC America)

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

If Orphan Black fell back to earth a bit in Season 2, that certainly wasn’t the fault of Maslany, who was superb once again as she gave life to a more than a dozen distinct clones. Any one of them — particularly soccer mom Alison and assassin Cosima — would warrant Tatiana a slot on this list; add them up and her work ranks among the most stunning acting ever seen on television. And her infectious, impromptu clone boogie party in the finale gave new meaning to the song “Dancing with Myself.”

(Lacey Terrell)

Matthew McConaughey, True Detective

McConaughey seemingly collected all the awards this year (except for the Emmy), but months after his weekly visits to a podium, the potency of his Oscar-winning Dallas Buyers Club turn has receded, while Rust Cohle remains as vibrant as ever. As the series jumped back and forth through time, McConaughey kept peeling off layer after fascinating layer, often accompanied by another hypnotic monologue. Costar Woody Harrleson, creator Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Fukunaga deserve a ton of praise, but the entire project would have collapsed without McConaughey.

(Craig Blankenhorn/FX)

Matthew Rhys, The Americans

When I named The Americans the best show of 2014 yesterday, I noted that the series is clicking on all fronts. Well Rhys is clicking most of all as Philip Jennings. His degree of difficulty is astounding: at times, the Welsh actor is pretending to be a Russian pretending to be an American pretending to be whatever alias Philip has assumed that week. That he keeps all those balls in the air, while also struggling with Philip’s shifting loyalities, is a wondrous achievement.

(Tyler Golden/The CW)

Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin

Every year at Television Critics Association press story, there is one actor who completely captivates and charms the room. This summer, that was Rodriguez, who worked the same magic that she exhibits each week on Jane the Virgin. The show’s soapy silliness and outrageous premise could never work without it being grounded in something very real, and that’s all due to Rodriguez, who single-handedly keeps the show from becoming a parody of itself.

(Amazon Studios)

Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Most actors are lucky if they get one defining roles in their career. Tambor now has three: Hank Kingsley, George Bluth Sr and Maura, his best, and most fearless performance yet. There are so many ways that a cis actor playing a transgender role could have gone horribly wrong, but all of Tambor’s instincts have been spot-on. We cheer and weep for Maura, in all phases of her life, even if we’re not always sure that we actually like her.

(Jessica Miglio/FOX)

Robin Lord Taylor, Gotham

Gotham remains very much a work in progress, but the show had one thing right from the start: Taylor’s riveting turn as Oswald Cobblepot, the man who will one day will become the Penguin. In a show bursting with too many villains, he immediately seized the show’s focus and refuses to relinquish it, thanks to the perfect mix of braggadocio, sycophancy and pathos. I would be perfectly happy if this show were called Penguin, because he’s the one character I truly care about.

(Chris Large/FX)

Allison Tolman, Fargo

Fargo arrived packed with top-shelf actors, including Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and Kate Walsh, but Tolman somehow came in and stole the miniseries out from under all of them. As the Marge Gunderson-esque Deputy Molly Solverson, Tolman could have been crushed by comparisons to Frances McDormand, or even her fellow actors. Instead, she confidently made the role her own, one disheartened grimace at a time. I worry that Hollywood won’t know what to do with her now (though I loved her arc on The Mindy Project), but she was the find of the year, and I look forward to (hopefully) watching her eventually act her way through the entire FX slate (your move, The Americans!).

(Tina Rowden)

Aden Young, Rectify

I can’t think of another actor who would be disciplined and restrained enough to remain so bottled up as recently-released Death Row inmate Daniel, but Young proves every episode that less can be much, much more. (Here’s my pitch for a TV show: Alicia Florrick and Daniel team up for a show in which they do nothing but silently take elevator rides, walk around and sit in silence. It would be absolutely riveting.) This season, Young took advantage of Daniel’s slightly-expanding emotional palette and allowed slivers of sentiment to break through.

I wrote about Young and Rectify here.

Check back on Wednesday, when I’ll pause the accolades to discuss the year’s 10 biggest disappointments.

The post The 10 Best TV Performances of 2014 appeared first on TV & Not TV.

(KC Bailey/FX)

10.  Louie (FX)

Returning after a near 20-month hiatus, Louie remained the most surprising show on TV. Each episode offers something completely unexpected, from Sarah Baker’s knockout monologue in “So Did the Fat Lady” to the six-part “Elevator” arc. And while Louis CK’s batting average may not have been quite as astronomical as in previous seasons, it was still worthy of a spot on the list. Netflix and its ilk might be changing the notion of what TV is, but no one is redefining the medium on a weekly basis more than CK.

(Lacey Terrell/HBO)

9. True Detective (HBO)

I was among the many that was disappointed by the season’s conventional ending, but as the months have passed, that feeling has been dwarfed by the appreciation of all that came before it. Over eight riveting episodes, creator Nic Pizzolatto, director Cary Fukunaga and stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson tackled the most tired of genres – the buddy detective drama – and completely reinvented it. And the fourth episode’s uninterrupted, six-minute tracking shot was TV’s most euphoric experience of the year.

(Tina Rowden)

8. Rectify (SundanceTV)

Almost every show on this list could be described as “unlike anything else on television.” But that goes double for Rectify, which ventured even further into uncharted territory in Season 2 as Aden Young’s Daniel continued his assimilation into society after spending 19 years on Death Row for the rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend. It dares you to put the outside world on pause and immerse yourself in its staggering emotion.

I wrote about the season here.

(Byron Cohen/FX)

7. You’re the Worst (FX)

This is the only comedy that cracked the list, though several shows — including The Mindy Project, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Black-ish and Archer — consistently made me laugh this year. You’re the Worst seemed like the kind of show I’d watch once, and then never glance at again. But I ended up falling for the abrasive Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) and obnoxious Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash) even harder than they fell for each other. Comedies aren’t supposed to be this assured out of the gate, but You’re the Worst had my number from the raucous, raunchy pilot. In a year when too many fantastic, low-rated comedies were canceled, You’re the Worst’s renewal was a glorious blessing.

I wrote about the show here.

(Brooke Palmer/NBC)

6. Hannibal (NBC)

How can this show exist on broadcast TV? Is NBC even aware that they air it, or does someone else hack their airwaves every Friday at 10? Anyone who claims that broadcast TV has become mediocre and colorless has obviously never seen Bryan Fuller’s vibrant work of art, which puts most cable fare to shame. Fuller has taken a once-noble franchise that was driven into the ground by increasingly awful novels and even worse films, and restored its luster via a lush tapestry of visual and aural verve. It is a feast for the eyes, stomach and mind. Even if we know how the story will end (hell, Fuller revealed how the season would conclude three minutes into the premiere), Fuller has crafted a captivating journey, as we witness the psychological chess match between Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen).

(JoJo Whilden/Netflix)

5. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)

The biggest surprise of 2013 wasn’t content to coast in Season 2; instead, it upped its game by deepening its depictions of all the Litchfield inmates we got to know in Season 1 — along with some we didn’t even realize we cared about (Rosa!). Even Taylor Schilling’s Piper — who last year seemed dwarfed by the likes of Kate Mulgrew’s Red and Uzo Aduba’s Suzanne — finally grew into her own this year. Lorraine Toussaint’s Vee proved a perfect wolf in sheep’s clothing, but almost everyone was given their share of unforgettable moments in the spotlight.

(Amazon Studios)

4. Transparent (Amazon)

Amazon, I didn’t think you had it in you! Sure, the pilot for Jill Soloway’s examination of a patriarch (Jeffrey Tambor) who decides to finally live his life as the woman who has always been inside him, was impressive. But the series managed to be even more moving, as it was able to be groundbreaking without putting Maura on a pedestal (instead, she’s just as flawed as everyone else). Every character and moment seemed vivid and real, a feat that was every bit as innovative as its subject matter.

I wrote about Transparent here.

(Chris Large/FX)

3. Fargo (FX)

I watched the Fargo pilot almost a year ago and was bowled over. Speaking with FX Networks CEO John Landgraf soon after, I asked if the subsequent episodes could possibly measure up. He assured me they were even better — and boy was he was right. Noah Hawley took sacred ground — the Coen Brothers’ 1996 masterpiece — and crafted a sprawling story that felt both new and very much of a piece with that film. It was packed with superb performances, particularly Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and find-of-the-year Allison Tolman. And unlike True Detective, it stuck the ending, which honored the spirit of the show. You betcha!

(CBS)

2. The Good Wife (CBS)

This isn’t supposed to happen. A series A) in its sixth year B) on a broadcast network C) which loses a major cast member (RIP, Will Gardner) shouldn’t be reaching new creative heights. But nobody told The Good Wife that, because the show is as enthralling as it has ever been. Astoundingly, Will Gardner’s shocking death has turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to the show, and star Julianna Margulies, as it pushes its story and cast in wondrous new directions. I don’t know how long it can keep this up; but I’ll never bet against showrunners Robert and Michelle King, who are somehow pulling this off 22 times a year.

I reviewed The Good Wife here, and also profiled Christine Baranski and showrunners Robert and Michelle King.

(Patrick Harbron/FX)

1. The Americans (FX)

I enjoyed the 2013 debut season of this series much more than some of my colleagues, but even I was astounded at the gargantuan creative leap it made in Season 2. Suddenly, the Russian spies working undercover as a married couple in ’80s America (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) were grappling with the gradual realization that their nuclear family was worth fighting for even more than Mother Russia.

It remains mindboggling so many viewers (and awards show voters) continue to overlook this show, which is a triumph on every level: from casting to scripts to production to costumes and wigs. It’s a spy thriller, a relationship drama, a family drama and a political drama rolled into one. And, oh yeah, it has several of the best music cues on television. In one series, The Americans packs in everything that television aspires to be. And the crazy thing is, I think it’s primed to get even better in Season 3, especially given the gutpunch of a twist in the season finale.

Check back on Tuesday for my look at the year’s 10 best performances.

The post The 10 Best Shows of 2014 appeared first on TV & Not TV.

Step aside, TGIF and Must-See TV: branded nights of TV are back again, thanks to ABC’s #TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday) and NBC’s #WomanCrushWednesday. As I wrote at Adweek:

Networks can’t resist cloning anything that’s a hit on television, whether that’s shows or campaigns. Given the success of both #TGIT and #WCW, they’re all likely brainstorming hashtag-friendly campaigns in an effort to brand as many other nights of TV as possible.

So I came up with 12 new TV hashtag campaigns I’d like to see, from #PTSD (Post-Traumatic Sports Delay) to #TGINTGIF (Thank God It’s Not TGIF) to #WhatsaHashtag (What’s a Hashtag? Mondays).

After #TGIT and #WCW, 12 New TV Hashtag Campaigns We’d Like to See

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Here’s a clip from my segment:

Thankfully, they didn’t include the portion where my earpiece shorted out, just as I was being asked a question by someone remotely. Oh, the fun of live TV!

‘Squawk Alley’: Why Sunday is TV’s Hottest Night

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The Atlantic took notice of my Quartz piece on why all the best shows air on Sunday nights, and republished it. Two times in one week!

Why Sunday-Night Television is So Good 

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Homeland. The Good Wife. The Affair. The Walking Dead. Mad Men. Masters of Sex. Veep. Game of Thrones. When you think of the best (and most Emmy-nominated) shows on TV, almost all of them air on Sunday nights. As I wrote at Quartz,

It seems counterintuitive to pit all of TV’s best series against one another, as anyone who’s tried to program a DVR on Sundays can attest. But there is in fact a method to the networks’ madness, and five reasons why Sunday night’s quality TV overload exists—and won’t be going away anytime soon.

Through Nielsen numbers crunching (charts!), research and a great chat with Showtime Network President David Nevins, I came up with five very strong reasons — some of which surprised even me. Here’s one: airing on Sunday night is more important than being watched on Sunday night.

While many of the Sunday shows have drawn record audiences as mentioned above, it’s also true that premium cable networks like HBO and Showtime aren’t beholden to advertisers. So those executives don’t have the expectation or urgency that viewers need to tune in “live” during their shows’ initial Sunday night airing. “I always say, it doesn’t matter to me whether you watch it on Sunday; I’m fine if you want to want until Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Nevins. “You wait much past then, you’re going to miss the conversation.”

Five reasons why Sunday is TV’s best night

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I’ll make this simple: no show is supposed to be as sensational in its sixth season as The Good Wife is right now. I reviewed the Season 6 premiere for The Daily Beast, and made this observation:

So much is going on, in fact, that it wasn’t until much later that I realized that one character was never referenced, possibly for the first time: the late Will Gardner. Now it can be said: Josh Charles’ exit last March, as shocking and painful as it was, is probably the best thing that could have happened to The Good Wife in the long run, and one of the main reasons this show, and these characters we’ve spent five years with, suddenly seem so fresh.

The show’s Emmy snub for best drama looks even more egregious in light of this premiere episode. And while it’s unclear how long the show can sustain this momentum without falling victim to the same pitfalls as nearly every other long-running series, I’m going to enjoy every moment of this unparalleled run while I can.

Will Gardner Had to Die So That ‘The Good Wife’ Could Thrive

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During the next month, 20 new shows will debut, and half of them will be lucky to make it to a second season. As I wrote at Quartz, CBS is trying its best to beat the odds:

Its new shows are almost carbon copies of a beloved long-running series in time slots immediately before them (known as a show’s lead-in) or after them (its lead-out), in an effort to capture as much of the returning show’s audience as possible.

At TCA summer press tour, I spoke with CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler about her strategy that paired Criminal Minds with Stalker, Madam Secretary with The Good Wife and (duh!) NCIS with NCIS: New Orleans:

“It may not be where people end up consistently watching a show, but when you’re in this ‘discovery’ phase—when audiences are trying and sampling—that’s when I think lead-in matters more than anything,” Tassler told Quartz.

Why TV time slots still matter for new shows

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The Good Wife fans are still reeling from the show’s shocking March 23 episode, in which Will Gardner (Josh Charles) was gunned down in court. And while Charles, Julianna Margulies, and showrunners Robert and Michelle King have given several interviews about the devastating twist, I’d yet to hear from Christine Baranski, who has been equally stellar in the aftermath of Will’s death. I talked to her for this Daily Beast profile about her “breathtaking” year, hoping against hope that Charles would change his mind about leaving the show and the trauma of shooting those emotional episodes as her character, Diane Lockhart, coped with Will’s loss:

Even a seasoned pro like Baranski wasn’t been prepared for what was required of her in those episodes. “I’ve done so much comedy and I’ve done drama now, but I’ve got to be honest, never in my career have I been called upon to do that kind of work in front of the camera,” she says. “It was hard, but what a privilege to be able to go to that place of deep, deep sorrow and pain and trauma.”

There’s lots more from Baranski, on juggling The Good Wife last fall while also shooting the movie adaptation of Into the Woods and how she’ll decompress after such an emotional roller coaster this season. Robert and Michelle King also spoke about how deftly Baranski pulled off her character’s darkest, and lightest, moments this spring.

‘The Good Wife’s’ Christine Baranski on Life After Will Gardner’s Death

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I’ve read plenty of interviews with The Good Wife’s powerhouse showrunners Robert and Michelle King talking about their sensational series, but none that focuses on how they’ve successfully pulled off being married to their job, and each other. So I profiled them for The Daily Beast and talked about that very subject, including their biggest work fight:

But that was far from the duo’s biggest—and oddest—clash. “I think the biggest creative argument we ever had was whether U.S. should be abbreviated with or without periods within a script,” says Michelle. “I mean, it gets down to that level! I think it went on for two days, and I could not tell you which of us had which position or where it landed.” Adds Robert, “Which is the advantage of [being on a] network. There are so many decisions that have to be made, you can’t really fight over one for very long.”

It was a delight spending time with these two, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.

The Great Marriage Behind ‘The Good Wife’

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